• Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Tuesday, November 13, 2007 12:17 PM

A new Fila Sport line debuting in fall 2008 will be featured exclusively in Kohl's department stores. The announcement follows a string of exclusive brand launches for the chain, including the recent Vera Wang and Food Network lines. The deal is a chance for Fila to turn around lackluster U.S. sales, says Kohl's president Kevin Mansell, noting that the brand has been highly successful in Asia.

Fila's U.S. business was sold early this year to Fila Korea Ltd. after languishing for four years under a company owned by Cerberus Capital Management. A report in the Baltimore Examiner put Fila's U.S. sales in 2006 at $100 million, which is a tiny part of the total market for sports apparel and shoes.

Apparel is the largest and fastest-growing segment of the sports market, according to NPD Group, accounting for $113 billion--or 44%--of the global sports market in 2006. Worldwide, apparel sales have risen 6% this year, according to NPD, fueled by the growing trend of activewear as fashion.

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